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'''Stack Overflow''' is a [[Question-and-answer site|question-and-answer website]] for [[computer programmers]]. ItCreated in 2008 by [[Jeff Atwood]] and [[Joel Spolsky]],<ref name="introducing">{{cite web |author=Jeff Atwood |date=2008-04-16 |title=Introducing Stackoverflow.com |url=http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001101.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100203112658/http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001101.html |archive-date=3 February 2010 |access-date=2009-03-11 |work=Coding Horror |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Jeff Atwood |date=2008-09-10 |title=None of Us is as Dumb as All of Us |url=http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001169.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090314173417/http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001169.html |archive-date=14 March 2009 |access-date=2009-03-11 |work=Coding Horror}}</ref> it is the flagship site of the [[Stack Exchange|Stack Exchange Network]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Sewak|first=M.|title=Finding a Growth Business Model at Stack Overflow, Inc.|journal=Stanford CasePublisher|date=18 May 2010|volume=Rev. 20 July 2010|issue=2010–204–1|url=http://www.stanford.edu/class/ee204/Publications/Finding%20a%20Growth%20Business%20Model%20at%20Stack%20Overflow.pdf|access-date=23 May 2014|publisher=Stanford University School of Engineering|id=204-2010-1|display-authors=etal|archive-date=13 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813013908/http://www.stanford.edu/class/ee204/Publications/Finding%20a%20Growth%20Business%20Model%20at%20Stack%20Overflow.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Stack Exchange Network Legal Links |url=https://stackexchange.com/legal |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820103131/http://stackexchange.com/legal |archive-date=20 August 2014 |access-date=2012-01-02 |work=Stack Exchange |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|title = Stack Exchange API
|url = https://stackexchange.com/legal/terms-of-service
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110426013228/https://stackexchange.com/legal/terms-of-service
|url-status = live
}}</ref> ItStack Overflow features questions and answers on certain [[computer programming]] topics .,<ref>{{cite web ▼}}</ref> It was created in 2008 by [[Jeff Atwood]] and [[Joel Spolsky]].<ref name="introducing">{{cite web |author=Jeff Atwood |date=2008-04-16 |title=Introducing Stackoverflow.com |url=http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001101.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100203112658/http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001101.html |archive-date=3 February 2010 |access-date=2009-03-11 |work=Coding Horror |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|title = None of Us is as Dumb as All of Us
|url = http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001169.html
|work = Coding Horror
|date = 2008-09-10
|access-date = 2009-03-11
|author = Jeff Atwood
|archive-date = 14 March 2009
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090314173417/http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001169.html
|url-status = live
▲}}</ref> It features questions and answers on certain [[computer programming]] topics.<ref>{{cite web
|title = Secrets of social site success
|url = http://www.sdtimes.com/SHORT_TAKES_APRIL_15_2009/About_SHORTTAKES/33403
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190504031536/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWHfY_lvKIQ
|url-status = live
}}</ref> Itand was created to be a more open alternative to earlier question -and -answer websites such as [[Experts-Exchange]]. StackThe Overflowwebsite was sold to [[Prosus]], a Netherlands-based consumer -internet conglomerate, on 2 June 2021 for $1.8 billion.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dummett|first=Ben|date=2 June 2021|title=Stack Overflow Sold to Tech Giant Prosus for $1.8 Billion|publisher=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/software-developer-community-stack-overflow-sold-to-tech-giant-prosus-for-1-8-billion-11622648400|access-date=2 June 2021|archive-date=29 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029175938/https://www.wsj.com/articles/software-developer-community-stack-overflow-sold-to-tech-giant-prosus-for-1-8-billion-11622648400|url-status=live}}</ref>
TheStack websiteOverflow serves as a platform for users to ask and answer questions, and, through membership and active participation, to vote questions and answers up or down similar to [[Reddit]] and edit questions and answers in a fashion similar to a [[wiki]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2011/10/the-gamification.html | work = Coding Horror Blog | author = Jeff Atwood | date = 2008-09-21 | title = The Gamification | access-date = 2011-01-24 | archive-date = 1 February 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140201063225/http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2011/10/the-gamification.html | url-status = live }}</ref> Users of Stackthe Overflowwebsite can earn [[Reputation system|reputation points]] and "badges"; for example, a person is awarded 10 reputation points for receiving an "up" vote on a question or an answer to a question,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://stackoverflow.blog/2019/11/13/were-rewarding-the-question-askers/|title=Were Rewarding the Question Askers|date=13 November 2019 |access-date=20 November 2019|archive-date=16 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116115224/https://stackoverflow.blog/2019/11/13/were-rewarding-the-question-askers/|url-status=live}}</ref> and can receive badges for their valued contributions,<ref>{{cite web | url = https://stackoverflow.com/help/whats-reputation | work = Stack Overflow | title = What is reputation? How do I earn (and lose) it? | access-date = 14 August 2010 | archive-date = 9 June 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130609062938/http://stackoverflow.com/help/whats-reputation | url-status = live }}</ref> which represents a [[gamification]] of the traditional Q&A website. Users unlock new privileges with an increase in reputation like the ability to vote, comment, and even edit other people's posts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://stackoverflow.com/help/privileges|title=List of privileges|access-date=22 November 2017|archive-date=14 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214143308/https://stackoverflow.com/help/privileges|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{As of|2025|06}}, Stack Overflow has over 29 million registered users, and has received over 24 million questions and 36 million answers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=All Sites – Stack Exchange|url=https://stackexchange.com/sites?view=list#questions|access-date=2025-06-11|website=stackexchange.com|archive-date=8 June 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250608151607/https://stackexchange.com/sites?view=list#oldest|url-status=live}}</ref> The site and similar programming question -and -answer sites have globally mostly replaced programming books for day-to-day programming reference in the 2000s, and today are an important part of [[computer programming]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2021 |url=https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021/ |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=Stack Overflow |language=en |archive-date=16 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916193418/https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021/?utm_source=social-share |url-status=live }}</ref> Based on the type of [[tag (metadata)|tags]] assigned to questions, the top eight most -discussed topics on the site are: [[JavaScript]], [[Java (programming language)|Java]], [[C Sharp (programming language)|C#]], [[PHP]], [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[Python (programming language)|Python]], [[jQuery]], and [[HTML]].<ref>{{cite web | work = Stack Overflow | title = Tags | url = https://stackoverflow.com/tags | access-date = 9 December 2014 | archive-date = 15 February 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200215125549/https://stackoverflow.com/tags | url-status = live }}</ref>
== History ==
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